In Toronto General Hospital on January 11, 1922, a novel invention changed the lives of millions living with Diabetes and revolutionized its management, particularly Type I diabetes. 92 years from then, we can see the observation of insulin injection day for first time in India.

"Insulin remains a critical component of treatment of Diabetes, not only type I but also in many cases of Type II. At present injection remains the only practical means to deliver insulin. It is a welcome move that a day has been dedicated to deliberate on Insulin Injection by FIT. This should have a favorable impact on the acceptance of insulin injection among both physicians and patients," said Prof. S.V.Madhu, Professor & Head, Dept. of Medicine & Endocrinology, UCMS-GTB Hospital & Secretary, Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India(RSSDI)said,

Dr. Madhu added, "More than 80 % of people have psychological resistance to even initiate an insulin therapy, despite it being indispensable for glycemic control to manage the disease. The recommendations by FIT India have been immensely helpful in optimizing insulin injection technique for both healthcare workers and patients and have improved the overall acceptance of insulin delivery and injections."

Counseling elderly or geriatric patients for self-injection can be a challenging task. Unlike their younger peers, they may have certain age related potential difficulty in executing the instructions for injections properly. The FIT recommendations suggest that physicians should not use age as an excuse to avoid usage of insulin which can delay the treatment and result in further complications. Along with insulin initiation for elderly patients, health-care providers must ensure the involvement of responsible family members/attendants during the selection of insulin and explanation of injection technique.

According to Dr. Rajeev Chawla, Joint Secretary, RSSDI and Sr. Consultant Diabetologist & Director, North Delhi Diabetes Centre, ""As per latest survey, more than 50% of diabetic patients in the city do not adhere to appropriate insulin treatment practices, and 48% do not know about right injection techniques. As insulin treatment is vital for blood glucose control, inappropriate injection skills compromise the dosage accuracy and its effectiveness. Moreover, it may also lead to pain with bleeding and a risk of contamination."